This comprehensive term appeared in the early 1980s when the process began of digitizing the public switched telephone network, and information technology was used both in the digital terminal devices in the network, as well as in the local and public transmission networks themselves. Services such as teletext and interactive videotext, as well as dedicated data networks such as Datex-L and Datex-P emerged during this period. The idea developed that the originally very different industrial sectors of information technology (which at the time primarily involved mainframes and office computer systems) and communication technology (which mainly dealt with the public switched telephone network) would merge to form a large, new branch of industry. In Germany, the numerous professional and industry associations representing these industrial sectors were combined and renamed accordingly.

In the 1990s, both areas diversified rapidly, and there is no end in sight to this development. The underlying technologies have taken over not only these fields, but have also propelled numerous other industries (from automotive engineering to building services) to a steadily growing level of product diversity.

Starting in 2000, the term “ICT” again gained significance in public policy, management and particularly in the industries to which the name refers as a result of the widespread use of the Internet and the central role of IP-based services in IT (IP networks) and increasingly in communication technology (IP telephony).